Discharge tube display



Aug. 11, 193' F. HO TCHNER DISCHARGE TUBE DISPLAY Filed March 50, 1951 Qm m m Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES FRED HOTCHNER, 015 LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA DISCHARGE TUBE DISPLAY Original application filedMay 25, 1929,'Ser1a1' No. 366,069. Divided and this application filedMarch 80,

'1931. Serial My invention relates to discharge tube display devices andmore particularly to devices of this nature which are so constructedthat the legend or message or display thereon may be varied at will bythe owner of the sign as distinguished from the manufacturer thereof.

This application is a divisional application of my Patent N 0.1,803,706, issued May 5, 1931. In my said prior patent I disclose adevice of this general character in. which the luminescence obtainedfrom a gaseous conduction sign and in which the light emanates from saidgaseous conduction tube in addition to being Visible to display thetube,

also illuminates a certain light reflecting display pattern such asletters or insigma so that these letters or insignia are also visible aspart of the display. v

This present application concerns itself more particularly with a devicein .which those portions of the display which receive theirillumination. from the gaseous conduction sign are of such a characterthat they may be readily changed by the owner of the sign asdistinguished from the manufacturer.

Other objects of my invention Will be apparent from a description of twospecific forms thereof which follows in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in Which Fig. 1 is a display device partly in section of oneform of carrying out my invention; and Fig. 2 is a form thereof.

In the form of the invention asillus'trated in my said priorapplication, I have utilized two plates of glass placed rather closelytogether in cooperative relationship with a gaseous conduction tube soarranged that it in itself is Visible, and at the same time directslight rays toward other portions of the Sign through the agency of theglass plates which reflect the light toward these other portions of thevisible display. There are many forms of bringing this about, some ofwhich are shown in my said prior application, but I am not adding thoseillustrations to this application, but am showing two forms whichperspective view of a modified are illustrative in general of'myinvention,

the principal features thereof being a gaseous conduction tube, areflecting glass plate, and a surface illuminated by the gaseousconduction plate essentially through reflection upon which any suitablelegends, insignia, or the like may be drawn or otherwise applied by theowner of the sign and changed at will.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, a sign is provided forshow window mounting. It is constructed with a single sheet of glass 44to which the tube 45 is mounted by means of suitable posts 46. Thewindow 47 through which the sign is to be displayed is utilized in theplace of a second glass plate such as used in other forms of myinvention. A portion of the light emanating from the tube 45 isreflected, into the space between the two glass plates by the rearsurface of the window 47 and the front surface of the plate 44.

In the form of the invention shown, the central portion of the glassplate 44 is not provided with tubing and is designed for the receivingof any suitable display, such as advertising'copy which may be writtenon the glass with any medium which will reflect or disperse the light orotherwise render such display luminous.

The object of this is to provide a suitable place for the provision ofsuch copy which may be quickly removed and replaced by other copy. It isto be understood that if desired, raised letters may here be used whichare suitably fastened in place between the plates. The complete signthus serves as an announcement sign which may be quickly changed. It isdetachable from the supporting cords 48 and 49 at the books 50 and 51.The cords are insulated conductors and they depend from the terminals ofthe transformer 52 which is located out of the line of vision. The signis spaced from the window by means of the bumper posts 53, 54, 55 and56. Connection is made to the terminals 57 and 58 by means of theconductors 59 and 60. To make changes in the sign, it is unhooked fromthe cords, thereby also breaking the electrical connection, and thentaken to a convenient place, the old message washed off and new copywritten in the space 61.

Another embodiment of the invention is 102 inet 64 by means of the castbrackets 65 and 66. Both glasses slide in slots in the bIHCk'. ets,indicated by 67, 67, etc., and may be con veniently removed for thepurpose of writing messages on the surfaces ofthe glasses. It is to beunderstood that while I prefer to use the front surface of the rearglass, it is possible to use any surface at all for this purpose. Theillumination is furnished by the ornamental border tube 68, theterminals 69 and 70 thereof extending through the bushings 71 and 72into the cabinet within which is contained a transformer. The space forcopy in this case is indicated by 7 3.

Various methods may be used for providing the light reflectingcharacters in this invention. Paint pigments or glass frosting may beused. Water colors which may be readily washed off are also suitable.Then again letters or characters may be suitably pasted in place ifdesired.

From the description of two forms of my invention the same will readilybe clear to those skilled in the art, and it will also be quite apparentthat changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claimsmay be made without departing from its spirit.

Having, however, thus described two forms of my invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display sign of the character described having a pair of parallellyarranged light reflecting plates, a gaseous conduction light emittingdisplay pattern forming part of the visible display and positionedbetween the planes of said plates in such manner as to leave certainportions of the visible display area unoccupied, and readily removableand replaceable light reflecting display characters also forming part ofthe visible display arranged in said unoccupied display area.

2. A display sign of the character described having a pair of parallellyarranged light reflecting plates, a gaseous conduction light emittingdisplay pattern forming part of the visible display and positionedbetween the planes of said plates in such manner as to leave certainportions of the visible display area unoccupied, and readily removableand replaceable light reflecting display characters also forming part ofthe visible display carried by said plates and arranged in saidunoccupied display area.

3. A display sign of the character described havlng a pair of parallellyarranged light'reflecting plates, a gaseous conduction light emittingdisplay pattern forming part of the visible display and positionedbetween the planes of said plates in such manner as to leave certainportions of the visible display area'unoccupied, and readily removableand replaceable light reflecting display characters also forming part ofthe visible display surface of each of said plates aiding by reflectionto direct light from said light emitting display pattern to said lightreflecting display characters.

4. A display sign of the character described having a pair of parallellyarranged light reflecting plates, a gaseous conduction light emittingdisplay pattern forming part of the visible display lying adjacent theedges of said plates in such manner as to leave certain portions of thevisible display area unoccupied, and readily removable and replaceablelight reflecting display characters also forming part of the visibledisplay carried by said plates and arranged in said unoccupied displayarea, a surface of each 'of said plates aiding by reflection to directlight from said light emitting display pattern to said light reflectingdisplay characters.

5. A display sign of the character described having a light reflectingplate, a gaseous conduction light emitting display pattern forming partof the visible display lying closely adjacent said plate in such manneras to leave certain portions of the visible display area unoccupied,readily removable and replaceable light reflecting display charactersalso forming part of the visible display arranged in said unoccupieddisplay area, and means for removably holding said plate in position,said means also serving as current conducting means.

6. In an electric display, a pair of extended spaced sheets of lighttransmitting material, means to hold said sheets of material togetherand in spaced relationship, an ornamental tubular light between saidsheets of material and exposed to view through at least one of saidsheets, one of said sheets being readily removable for the purpose ofwriting amessage on a surface thereof.

7. A display device comprising a structure having substantiallyparallelly disposed reflecting surfaces, means to radiate light raysbetween said surfaces whereby a material portion of said rays arereflected back and forth between said surfaces, and readily removablecharacters of a substance capable of dispersin saidlight rays on one ofsaid surfaces w ereby said characters become apparently luminousby'virtue of light ra s escaping from said structure through-saisubstance.

8. A display device comprising a structure having substantiallyparallelly disposed reflecting surfaces, a luminous gaseous conductiondevice to radiate light rays between said surfaces whereb a materialportion of said rays are reflected back and forth between said surfaces,and readily removable characters of a substance capable of dispersingsaid light rays on one of said surfaces whereby said characters becomeapparently luminous by 9. A display device comprising a structure havingsubstantially parallelly disposed reflecting surfaces, a light sourceadjacent the edge of said structure and between the planes of saidsurfaces to radiate light rays between said surfaces whereby a materialportion of said rays are reflected back and forth between said surfaces,and readily removable characters of a substance capable of dispersingsaid light rays on one of said surfaces whereby said characters becomeapparently luminous by virtue of light rays escaping from said structurethrough said substance.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of MarchA. D. 1931.

FRED HOTCHNER.

